London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will be expanded to include all of the capital on Tuesday, August 29, 2023. It will operate 24 hours a day, every day of the year (apart from Christmas Day) and will operate across all London boroughs, up to the current Low Emission Zone boundary.
Vehicles must meet strict emission standards to drive in the ULEZ including Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 for diesel.
Motorcycles and mopeds must adhere to the Euro 3 emissions standards, with any non-compliant vehicle facing the £12.50 daily fee.
Although the expansion has been heavily backed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, many have voiced their concerns about the new rules.
Gareth Johnson, Conservative MP for Dartford, accused the London Mayor of erecting a “financial wall” between the capital and the rest of the country through planned changes to the pollution charge zone.
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The Mayor’s Office said expanding ULEZ London-wide will save 27,000 tonnes of CO2 in outer London, nearly double that which the central London ULEZ achieved in its first year of operation.
The expansion is forecast to make further progress to reduce air pollution, by reducing nitrogen oxide emissions from cars and vans in outer London by 10 and seven percent respectively, and reducing PM2.5 car exhaust emissions in outer London by nearly 16 percent.
Compliance in outer London is already estimated to be at 85 percent, even before the ULEZ is expanded.
The ULEZ has already been hugely successful in central and inner London, helping to reduce roadside pollution levels by 44 percent in central London and 20 percent in inner London.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The latest evidence shows that air pollution is making us sick from cradle to the grave. Londoners are developing life-changing illnesses, such as cancer, lung disease, dementia and asthma.
“The ULEZ so far has been transformational, reducing harmful pollution levels by almost a half in central London.”
Despite this, many drivers, campaigners and politicians in the surrounding areas of London have spoken out about the expansion, saying it will affect their residents.
This included all of Bexley’s Conservative representatives – including 33 councillors, two MPs, and its Assembly Member.
In an open letter shared with Express.co.uk last year, the group called on Sadiq Khan to scrap the plans and listen to residents in outer London.
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